The Power of Hope
by Kristen3
Summary: Set during the flashback scene in "Save Henry." After meeting Mayor Mills' new baby, Mary Margaret is struck by her own desire to have a family. Confiding in comatose John Doe gives the schoolteacher an unexpected new outlook. Short one-shot.


Mary Margaret couldn't believe what she'd just seen. Mayor Regina Mills, frantically arguing with Dr. Whale over what could possibly be wrong with her adopted baby son. It was still hard to imagine the mayor as a mother at all. She didn't seem the least bit maternal. But yet, here she was, seemingly panicked at the thought of something happening to her baby. Regina had been distracted by a phone call, and so she'd handed the baby over to Mary Margaret, telling her, "Make yourself useful."

Suddenly, Storybrooke's schoolteacher found herself holding a baby. Immediately, she found that she liked the feeling of holding him. All at once, the child had stopped screaming. Mary Margaret felt the strangest urge to never let him go. Something had happened when she held him. It was as if something which had been missing from her life was returned. _It's probably just my biological clock_, she thought. After all, her love-life was nearly non-existent. After a certain point, any woman begins to realize that her chance to have a child is coming to an end. Even if the feeling were some crazy hormonal thing, Mary Margaret couldn't ignore it.

There was only one thing to do when Mary Margaret had a problem. She went into the room of Storybrooke Hospital's coma patient, John Doe. Every time she volunteered here, Mary Margaret made a point to visit him. She felt so sorry for him. He'd been here for as long as anyone could remember, and no one knew his real name. It was the saddest story Mary Margaret had ever heard. Surely, somewhere, there was someone out there looking for him.

Somehow, being in this room with this man always made Mary Margaret feel better. Maybe it was because her problems could never compare with being in a coma all these years. He was so handsome, and, deep down, Mary Margaret knew he was a good man.

She looked into John Doe's eyes. Or, rather, his eyelids. For he remained asleep, just as always. But Mary Margaret imagined that they were open for a moment."I held a baby just now," she whispered. "He belongs to Mayor Mills. I didn't want to give him back. I haven't even had a date in years, and all of a sudden, all I can think of is babies." She blushed, a bit embarrassed to be sharing so much with a complete stranger, even if he wasn't conscious. "I want a baby _so_ bad." Mary Margaret didn't even realize she'd spoken aloud. To make matters worse, Dr. Whale was just outside the room, making his rounds. He and Mary Margaret made eye contact for a moment. No matter how deep her desire for a family, Mary Margaret felt certain Dr. Whale was not the answer.

But then, who was? Storybrooke was a very remote town. It had been years since anyone from outside had visited. And, being a schoolteacher, Mary Margaret lacked the funds to travel. It all just seemed hopeless.

But, suddenly, a new thought occurred to her. She may not have children of her own, but she had a whole classroom full of children at school. And she loved every one of them. That was some comfort, at least. She thought of one little girl in particular, Paige. The poor girl had been upset last week over an incident on the playground. Mary Margaret had soothed her by telling her a story, one involving princes and princesses. How she had remembered it was a mystery to Mary Margaret, but it had worked. _Those stories must be powerful_, she thought. _Because they give us hope. Even the hope of a happy ending gives you something to hold on to. _Right now, she looked at the sleeping John Doe, hope was all Mary Margaret had. But somehow, she knew she couldn't give up. She thought once again of the mayor's baby. He had felt something in her arms, too. Mary Margaret was certain of it. He was counting on her. She glanced back at John Doe. "We're both going to get our happy endings," she said matter-of-factly. Because, even with all the odds against both of them, she held on to one very powerful thing: Hope.

**The End**


End file.
